Question
What is neonatal ABO hemolytic disease? Can this condition be treated? Can the newborn fully recover? If the mother’s blood type is O-positive and the father’s blood type is A-positive, will the newborn develop hemolytic disease?
Answer
Neonatal ABO hemolytic disease, also known as incompatibility-related neonatal hemolytic disease, is a condition caused by incompatibility between the mother’s and fetus’s blood types, leading to the mother’s antibodies attacking the fetus’s red blood cells, resulting in a hemolytic disease due to isoimmunization. This condition is not limited to Rh incompatibility; ABO incompatibility can also trigger it, with Rh incompatibility often being more severe. Neonatal ABO hemolytic disease is a common cause of pathological jaundice in newborns and an important disease leading to elevated bilirubin levels. Treatment methods include phototherapy and exchange transfusion, with most newborns recovering after appropriate treatment. If the mother’s blood type is O-positive and the father’s blood type is A-positive, the newborn may develop ABO hemolytic disease, but the specific situation depends on the newborn’s blood type test results.